Several readers in a WBO Spirits Business Watch reader group have questioned and sparked debate about a single malt whisky from France called Cohiba.
There is no SC code on the back label of Cohiba whisky, and the barcode starts with 3. From this information, it can be seen that this is an imported whisky in the original bottle. Cohiba itself is a Cuban cigar brand and has a high reputation in China.
On the front label of this whisky, there are also the words Habanos S.A. COHIBA, translated as Habanos Cohiba, and there is a big number 18 below, but there is no suffix or English about the year. Some readers said: This 18 is easily reminiscent of 18-year-old whisky.
A reader shared a Cohiba whisky tweet from a self-media that described: 18 refers to “To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cohiba brand, Habanos specially held the 18th Habanos Cigar Festival. Cohiba 18 Single Malt Whisky is a commemorative edition launched by Habanos and CFS for this event.”
When WBO searched for information on the Internet, it found that Cohiba cigars had indeed launched a co-branded wine, which was a cognac brandy launched by the well-known brand Martell.
WBO checked the trademark website. According to the information published on China Trademark Network, Cohiba’s 33 trademarks are owned by a Cuban company called Habanos Co., Ltd. Berners has the same English name.
So, is it possible that Habanos has awarded the Cohiba trademark to several wine companies to launch co-branded products? WBO has also logged on the official website of the producer CFS, the full name of Compagnie Francaise des Spiritueux. According to the official website, the company is a family business with an international vision and can produce all types of cognac, brandy, spirits, whether in bottles Wine or loose wine.WBO clicked into the company’s product section, but did not find the Cohiba whisky mentioned above.
All kinds of abnormal situations made some readers bluntly say that this is obviously an infringing product. However, some readers pointed out that this wine can be sold in the circulation field, and it is not necessarily infringing.
Another reader believes that even if it is not illegal, this is a product that violates professional ethics.
Among the readers, a reader said that after seeing this wine, he immediately asked the French distillery, and the other party replied that it did not produce this Cohiba whisky.
Subsequently, WBO contacted the reader: he said that he had business dealings with the French distillery, and after asking its representative in the Chinese market, he learned that the distillery had not produced bottled whisky, and the Cohiba whisky was marked with the importer on the back. Nor is it a customer of the winery.